A&M International Faculty Member Featured on Voice of America

Dr. Kathleen R. Pletsch de García, Assistant
Professor of English and Spanish at Texas A&M International
University, was interviewed on a recent worldwide broadcast
of "Wordmaster Theater" on the Voice of America
radio network.

Dr. Pletsch de García provided commentary on
"Spanglish," a blend of Spanish and English
used by many Spanish and bilingual speakers. She is
a recognized expert on the subject.

Dr. Pletsch de García explained that although
Spanglish may seem random, the structure is organized.

"It is a natural process that is rule-governed.
It is logical, it is complex. . .You take the English
word and then you add the Spanish morphology. So you
have, for example, 'watchar,' to watch, 'choosear,'
to choose, 'espelear,' to spell, 'signear,' to sign,
and 'chanza' for chance," she explained.

She believes that while speakers should use standard
language where it is appropriate, such as the classroom
or business settings, the complex process of Spanglish
is a linguistic skill, not a linguistic incompetence.

"There are many people who are of the opinion
that you should just keep it pure Spanish or pure English,
without mixing the two, but in reality, that is just
not what happens, especially in a border community
such as Laredo," she said.

Pletsch de García is currently completing a
research project on language use and language attitudes
in Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville. The project focuses
on codeswitching, the practice of using two languages
simultaneously or interchangeably.

Last year, she lent her expertise as a bilingual linguist
to MCI Tecnoguía, a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive
glossary of technology and computer-related terms in
Spanish and English.

Pletsch de García holds a B.A. in Latin American
Studies with an emphasis in Spanish from the University
of Arizona in Tucson, and an M.A. in Spanish Linguistics
and Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics with an emphasis
in Second Language Acquisition, Phonology and Dialectology
from Purdue University.

For more information on Pletsch de García's
Voice of America interview, please call the University's
Office of Public Affairs at 326-2180. Office hours
are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu